This invention is related to bottle-feeding of infants, and in particular to a baby bottle accessory device for use during the feeding process.
The feeding of infants can be a trying time for the parent or guardian, especially if the infant is inquisitive and easily distracted. The difficulties are typically due to the inability of the child to maintain the necessary attention span to complete a feeding cycle without interruption. However, most infants are typically inquisitive making the feeding cycle difficult for most parents and guardians of the infant.
At birth, vision is the least mature of the senses. Research has shown this area of the brain is not completely wired at birth. A newborn""s eyes can track or follow movement, but only within a distance of 7-12 inches from the infant""s face. By six months, the infant""s vision is as clear as an adults. Providing interesting objects in the environment helps the brain""s vision area develop normally. Neuroscientists have found that infant""s focusing with both eyes helps fine-tune the connections among brain cells. With visual stimulation, better eye focus and clearer vision will gradually develop. Objects should not be placed too close to the infant""s face as this tends to cause the infant""s eyes to misalign in a xe2x80x9ccross-eyedxe2x80x9d manner, which is not advantageous for visual development.
Researchers have found that infants instinctively prefer to look at faces and representations of facial features. In order to provide a device which quickly attract the attention of an infant while feeding, it would be desirable to provide a toy having xe2x80x9cfriendlyxe2x80x9d facial features which can be attached to the baby bottle itself. It would also be desirable that such a toy be properly positioned within the infant""s field of vision while feeding. What is lacking in the art is a stuffed animal accessory for an baby bottle which serves to attract the attention of the infant during the feeding process, and can also be used without a bottle as a conventional toy.
A number of patent have issued each which combined toy figures with infant feeding devices. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,090 discloses an infant feeding system which provides a holder for a baby bottle, the holder being shaped as an animal. However, the holder is designed for simply securing a baby bottle in position when not in use and is not used while feeding.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,184 discloses a baby bottle holder in the shape of a small bear. The bottle is placed through the head of the bear for purposes of concealing the bottle. The bottle holder functions primarily and an insulation jacket for the bottle, and is not meant to be viewed by the infant while feeding. In the feeding position the bear is not recognizable by the infant, and as such it cannot captivate the infant""s attention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,681 discloses a baby bottle holder in the form of a large animal that can be placed on the tray table of a baby chair. The patent discloses the concealment of a bottle within a pouch placed upon the lap of animal. The head of the animal is placed at a distance from the infant""s face to draw attention. This disclosure does not allow modification of the baby bottle position or allow the use of the holder as a toy. It is also undesirable to maintain the bottle in a fixed position proximate the infant""s face without direct supervision.
A similar device is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,821 which discloses a decorative baby bottle holder in the shape of an animal including a means for securing the holder to a fixed item such as a crib rail. The holder provides for the concealment of the bottle wherein the body of the holder fits over a support arm to conceal the support as well as a portion of the infant""s bottle. The holder positions the bottle in close proximity to the infant making it inappropriate for many applications. Also, the xe2x80x9cfacexe2x80x9d of the toy is positioned too closely to the infant""s face while feeding, and as a result the infant will not be able to focus on it properly.
Disclosed is a combination baby bottle accessory and teething device which comprises a stuffed animal toy having a fabric covering and a pliant filling therein which has a main body portion and at least one appendage extending therefrom which is formed from a material suitable for baby teething. In a preferred embodiment, two appendages formed from teething material are provided and preferably are a representation of the ears of the stuffed animal. The stuffed animal toy includes representations of facial features thereon which are formed by embroidery on the fabric covering. The main body portion includes an aperture extending therethrough such that the fabric covering is contiguous through the aperture. The aperture has a diameter sized to receive a baby bottle whereby the stuffed animal toy can be positioned on the baby bottle by sliding the baby bottle into the aperture. The aperture includes an elastic means which allows the stuffed animal toy to be positioned on the baby bottle in a fixed position. A pressure activated sound-making means can be disposed inside said stuffed animal toy. A fabric flap portion which includes indicia thereon can be fixedly attached to the stuffed animal toy. In a preferred embodiment, the fabric flap portion is a bib around the stuffed animal""s xe2x80x9cneck.xe2x80x9d
It is an objective of the invention to provide a baby bottle accessory in the form of a stuffed animal that can be positioned on the bottle during feeding, with distraction provided by proper position of the head of the stuffed animal at a distance that allows grasping by the infant, but at a such a distance so as not to cause the associated problems of close viewing of an object by an infant.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a baby bottle accessory in the form of a stuffed animal which includes appendages representing the xe2x80x9cearsxe2x80x9d of animal which are formed from a teething material.
Still another objective of the instant invention is to provide a baby bottle accessory that further operates as a conventional stuffed animal that can be left at close proximity of an infant or become an infant""s xe2x80x9cbuddyxe2x80x9d whereby at feeding time no strange object is placed before the infant.
Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.